The rise and rise (and rise) of gymwear
Sick of hearing about it-label of the moment, Vetements? Nope, neither is Selena Gomez who’s turned the cult French label into her go-to for comfy travel outfits. Arriving at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo recently, Selena wore a 90s throwback outfit of epic proportions, replete with crop top, denim jacket, white Converse trainers with a matching bowling bag, and slouchy tracksuit bottoms slung low on her hips.
Back in March, Selena rocked a similar outfit, wearing a red sweatshirt and matching tracksuit bottoms by the largely anonymous French fashion ‘collective’. To the untrained eye, her ensembles may be difficult to distinguish from your average, athleisure-heavy aeroplane wares. But, with her March outfit costing a total of £1,072, and her more recent bottle green sweatpants - that are a riff on classic 90s brand Champion - setting her back £503.47, we wonder if the label have taken luxury gymwear to the extreme.
Having gained hero status in fashion circles, the brand’s irreverence riffs on everything from Titantic and Justin Bieber, to DHL logos, and has elevated it to something of a status symbol for the street-style crowd. But with price tags like these, it’s a pretty exclusive club. In fact, even Demna Gvasalia, who heads ups the brand, has admitted that he and his friends cannot afford the clothes, telling The Telegraph: 'I wear prototypes but I don’t think I’m crazy fashion enough to go and buy those things. I’d rather go on holiday. I feel like it brings more use. Holidays are important. Holidays and quality time on your sofa.'
While the brand did produce a raincoat Gvasalia sees 'everybody wear because it's £150', a skim through Matches Fashion reveals the most, ahem, affordable piece from the brand's latest collection is a pair of trackpants for £340, and the most eye-watering is a silver sequin dress for £9,901.
So, would you rather arrive in the airport looking cool AF in one of Vetements haute hoodies and posh sweatpants, or take Demna’s advice and drop it on another week in Spain? Answers on a postcard, or to @marieclaireuk.